FANTASY: Sometimes better to be lucky than good

Published 8:39 pm Wednesday, October 2, 2013

What makes fantasy football so great each week is the absolute unpredictability of it. One week your team looks like it is going to win it all. The next week, that same group of players gets beat by 50 points.

Luck plays a big factor, too.

Just because the Baltimore Ravens possess Ray Rice, an All-Pro tailback, doesn’t mean they are going to give him the ball. Rice only got five carries for 17 yards against a Buffalo Bills defense that has been giving up 155 rushing yards per game through three weeks.

No explanation.

That lack of production from Rice played a part in a previously unbeaten team in our league, White Lines, dropping to 3-1.

There is also good luck and my team, Last Action Heroes (2-2), was the beneficiary again from some fortunate happenings to win our second game in a row.

The Heroes led the Gamblers by 18 points entering Monday Night Football. The Gamblers still had Jimmy Graham left to play with the Heroes hoping against hope that Marques Colston was Brees’ favorite target for once against the Miami Dolphins.

No such luck.

Two Jimmy Graham touchdowns and the Gamblers were one point behind with still a quarter left. Colston had been targeted a few times, but if Graham caught another big pass it would put him over 100 yards receiving, adding an extra five-point bonus to his tally.

That would pass me.

That’s what happened.

So, with five minutes remaining and New Orleans leading comfortably 38-14, the chances of Brees throwing the ball were slim and none.

Okay, maybe more slim.

Not only did Brees throw, but only a holding penalty by Graham negated a big pass play on a screen. That set up third-and-long. Brees fired a pass to Colston who, to my rage, slid down in bounds when he could’ve gone a few yards more and pushed me to near the century mark of yardage.

We were now tied, 126-126, but in our league the tiebreaker is reserve points and Gamblers had the Heroes there by double-digits.

But Brees and Colston had one more pass in them.

The Saints did not need to do this at all. In fact the only people on the planet this benefited were Colston, Brees and Colston and Brees owners like me.

It was only a nine-yard completion. But it made all the difference because it gave Colston an extra point and the Heroes a win.

Teams on a bye this week: Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington

Potential RB fillers for Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin Owners:

David Wilson, N.Y. Giants — If a fed-up owner dropped the underperforming Wilson, go pick him up now because this will be the last week you will be able to. The Giants are facing the Eagles, who have allowed 138 points in four games.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars — Another player whose owner is probably ready to cut bait, but MJD is going against the St. Louis Rams this week. The same Rams team that gave up 175 yards rushing to Demarco Murray and 153 last week to Frank Gore.

Potential QB filler For RG3 owners

Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns — I never in a million years thought I would be advising owners to not only pickup Hoyer, but to start him, but the numbers do not lie: 2 starts, 590 yards passing, 5 touchdowns. Cleveland plays the Bills on Thursday. Go get him.

Potential WR filler For Pierre Garcon owners

Robert Woods, Buffalo Bills — An off-the-radar player who had four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown last week. He is facing a tough secondary in Cleveland, but if you’re desperate, there are worse options.